On 9 September 1896, Ludwig Rehn performed the first successful heart surgery by suturing a 1.5cm stab wound in the right ventricle of a 22-year-old gardener named Wilhelm Justus. This intervention occurred at the Frankfurt State Hospital, challenging the prevailing medical consensus that wounds to the heart were uniformly fatal, thereby establishing a new frontier for surgical practice.
Early Career and Education
Born in 1849 in Bad Sooden-Allendorf, Rehn was the youngest of five children. He pursued medical studies at the University of Marburg between 1869 and 1874, joining the Corps Hasso-Nassovia. His early practical experience included service as a volunteer during the Franco-Prussian War. Upon receiving his doctorate in 1875, he practiced in Griesheim and Rödelheim, where he performed his first thyroidectomy in 1880.
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In 1886, Rehn assumed the role of surgical director at the Frankfurt State Hospital. Beyond cardiac repair, he investigated occupational hazards, specifically reporting an association between aromatic amines used in aniline factories and bladder cancer cases. By 1914, he was appointed professor of surgery at the newly founded University of Frankfurt am Main. During the First World War, he served as a surgeon general and contributed to the scientific senate of the Kaiser Wilhelm Academy in Berlin.
Technical Development of Cardiac Repair
The 1896 operation involved a 14cm incision and the division of the fifth rib to access the pericardium. Rehn recorded observations on the physical properties of the heart, describing the muscular contraction and rhythmic motion of the organ during the procedure. He successfully employed silk sutures to close the ventricular wound. By 1907, he had compiled data on 124 instances of cardiac suturing, demonstrating a 60% mortality rate, a significant improvement over the 90% mortality rate typical of the pre-surgical era.
Professional Legacy
Rehn served as the Chairman of the German Association of Surgery starting in 1911. Following his death in 1930, his work continued to be recognized through the establishment of the Ludwig-Rehn-Award for scientific publications in general surgery, created by the Frankfurt Chamber of Commerce in 1974. A street in Frankfurt am Main, Ludwig-Rehn-Strasse, bears his name.
Fast facts
- Born: 1849, Bad Sooden-Allendorf
- Died: 1930, Frankfurt
- Education: University of Marburg
- First cardiac suture: 9 September 1896
- Notable role: Surgeon general during World War I
- Academic post: Goethe University Frankfurt
- Burial site: Frankfurt Main Cemetery
Questions readers ask
What condition did Rehn first treat with heart surgery?
He treated a 1.5cm stab wound to the right ventricle of a patient named Wilhelm Justus.
Did Ludwig Rehn identify the risks of aromatic amines?
Yes, in 1895 he reported cases of bladder cancer linked to workers at local aniline factories.
Achievements
- Held posts at Goethe University Frankfurt
